The National Restaurant Association (NRA) promoted Brendan Flanagan to vice president of state and local affairs, a new position in the expanded Political and State Affairs department. Flanagan will lead the NRA's engagement in public policy matters at the state and local level, working directly with state restaurant association executives and their staff members, as well as the state-focused governmental affairs staff of association members.

For the past 11 years, Flanagan has worked in the NRA's Policy and Government Affairs department, mostly recently as a senior director of federal relations. Prior to joining the NRA in 2001, Flanagan was director of government relations for the International Franchise Association.